August 19, 2013

Surprised

Luke
13:10-17

How
surprised she must have been to have been called forward by Jesus, to have been
asked to stand at his side. She is the
poorest of the poor, easy to overlook, a woman with a crippling condition, she
has been told that she is of little worth, viewed as someone whose physical
needs exceed her physical abilities to produce.

Yet
Jesus, without bias, without asking, without prejudice, sees her and calls her
to come forward. Touching her he says,
“Woman, you are set free from your condition.”
Set free from what oppresses you.
Set free from what has been holding you down; free from your prison of pain;
free from fearful worry; free from unrealistic expectations. Free, free, you’re free at last!

Such
wonderful words! Good news words for
everyone―words that may mean more now than historically ever before. Are not those words what all of us still need
to hear? Are not those words what the
world still needs to hear? Words of
liberation, words of freedom, words which reassure us that God wants
nothing but the best for us―all of us.

We do not need a religion
that is right when we are right, but a religion that is right when we are
wrong. ―G. K. Chesterton

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About Me

Jason serves as the pastor of St. Paul's UCC in Schaefferstown, PA. He is a graduate of Sewanee: University of the South School of Theology with a Doctorate in Ministry and Johnson University with a Master's in Theology. He and his wife, Heather, have two children (Katelyn and Nate) and one loyal but lazy dog (Rudy).